Party Shoes A La Primark

Primark always takes me back to my early teenage years, when I would save up all my money so one Saturday I could go shopping with my friends and fill my basket with with everything I didn't need. I'd get home and sit on my bed surrounded with all my new bargains; weird slogan t-shirts, £5 pyjamas, cheap makeup brushes and probably a pair of shoes. And then after about a week (or a wash!), everything would start to fall apart. A month later, once I'd saved up some more money, I'd take another trip to Primark and the cycle would repeat itself.

These days I tend to avoid shopping in Primark except for socks and tights, just because I would prefer to spend a little bit more money on something that is going to last me a little bit longer. But I do know that occasionally Primark bring out something amazing. It's usually slightly more expensive than the typical Primark prices, and it's often a bit of a hero piece. But it catches your eye as it still looks about 10 times more expensive than the price tag. And you know you won't be leaving Primark without it. I have the most beautiful pair of jeans with little black velvet stars on, which I still bring out every Winter. And I have a lovely chambray tank top with embroidered cut out detail which looks amazing tucked into a pair of white shorts. And this time it was a pair of shoes...

I'm a sucker for anything embroidered or shimmery, and these heels are a little bit of both, so naturally they caught my eye. For some reason these remind me a little bit of D&G, although unlike the fur Gucci loafer dupes that Primark had these heels aren't an exact copy of anything. They are such a beautiful statement piece and I love them. The strap and the block heel means that I can walk in them, which for shoes is fairly important. But the fabric and the brocade detail is just something else. The mustard colour of the flowers I haven't got anywhere else in my wardrobe (yellow usually make me run a mile) but I kind of love it. I'm picturing wearing these with white sundresses in Summer and then black skinny jeans and pretty blouses when the weather gets colder. Either way, I can't wait to start wearing these beauties!

I know Primark is hardly the most pleasant of shopping experiences, usually consisting of pushing past people and picking items up off the floor. But if you are willing to look hard enough there is sometimes a treasure to be found!

Speak soon xx

 

Best Time To Buy Cashmere

For the last few weeks it feels like I have been living in sundresses and sandals, which I am definitely not complaining about! So it is probably a bit of a crazy time to start thinking about what I'm going to be wearing in Winter. But the truth is in the fashion world Summer is over. It finished about a month ago when the Summer sales started, but the rest of us had just found our bikini! There are people that have already decided the key colours for 2019, the trends for Summer 2018 and AW17/18 collections will be hitting shops very soon.

Cashmere is one of those luxury fabrics that you just want to stroke or snuggle up in and hide from the world during Winter. Or possibly to hide from the price tag that it usually comes with. But there are a few ways to get your hands on some luxury for less. The trick is to buy out of season, because unlike those trend pieces on sale, cashmere isn't going to go out of style. The high street does cashmere at a pretty reasonable price anyway, and on sale it is just a bargain!

I picked up this beautiful off-white cashmere jumper from Zara in their sale a couple of weeks ago. It is so soft that I just want to rub it against my cheek! And it's such a classic colour and style that I am such I will be wearing this for several years. I actually had a very similar white jumper just from H&M that I wore to death last Winter. And after just one season the hem had stretched and the sleeves were bobbling so badly that I had to throw it. It wasn't even Charity Shop worthy which is where most of my unwanted clothes go. So I know that I'm going to get the wear out of this one, and I'm hoping it will last a little longer than one season if I look after it properly!

If you are looking for a little luxury to get you through Winter or you were thinking of buying some cashmere in a couple of months, get it now! Before the sales end and brands start doubling the price of the same jumper. So buy now, and thank me later!

Speak soon xx

The Summer To Do List

I am a huge fan of making lists. I honestly have a list for everything! At one point I had a list for lists, and that really is when you know you are going crazy! But as lists are such an important part of my life (and keeping it all on track) I thought why not share them on my blog. Starting with a fun one - the Summer to do list!

• Blog More


• Visit Brighton


• Have a Summer cocktail evening


• Bike ride around London


• Have a picnic in the park


• Visit my grandparents


• Arrange to meet an old friend


• Have a huge wardrobe clear out and reorganise


• Swim in the sea


• Have fish and chips on the beach


• Organise a girls night out


• Go surfing


• Start running outside again


• Read more books (and less Daily Mail!)


• Watch Gifted


• Start drawing again


• Take loads of polaroids


• Visit a town/city in the UK I have never been to


• See the new Spiderman film

That's all I can think of at the moment! Although I am going to keep updating this list as and when I think of things, so please feel free to add anymore ideas in the comments below.

Speak soon xx

Magali Pascal

If you have a style that is at all similar to mine then this is a store that you need to know about. Magali Pascal is a brand that I first found on Instagram, probably through one of the many bloggers that I follow, but I just fell in love with their clothes. They are feminine and beautiful with a real bohemian feel about them. And as far as I was concerned a dream that was out of reach, as being based on Australia (quite literally the other side of the world) I didn't ever think I would get to see their clothes.

But as you may know from a recent post Bali was where dreams came true. And while this isn't quite "being hugged by two elephants at once" standard, if you are as obsessed with clothes as I am, this is pretty damn close!

Jack and I were riding (him driving and me clinging on for dear life!) on a scooter to Semiyak when I saw the store and yelled at him to stop. He didn't really understand when I started going on about how it was this brand I followed on Instagram, and that all the bloggers I followed wore it and I never thought I'd get to see a store...but he stopped anyway. As we walked up to the store it was everything I could have imagines, beautiful and classic with greenery growing up the front of the shop. But the most beautiful part of all was the four white letters in the shop window. SALE.

After trying on half of the shop, not being about to decided, and trying most of it on again, I finally settled for two pieces that I am in love with.

The first is this stunning silk cami. I feel in love with the print and the colours and tried on pretty much this whole collection, but this was the piece that I thought I would get the most wear out of. It's feminine and floaty and kind of reminds me of a magical cloud! It's a statement piece in that all you would need is a pair of jeans and some lovely shoes to wear with it. But at the same time it is subtle and just completely my style.

After probably over an hour I finally walked to the till with my silk top, when I spotted a rail that I hadn't properly looked though. As is always the way! I saw this pair of shorts which I thought were lovely and with the help of my mathematical boyfriend worked out that they came to about £15! The quality is amazing and I love the fact that they are short, but still manage to cover the whole of my bum cheeks. And most of all I am obsessed with the cute fringing detail around the pockets.

So even if you aren't going to be hanging around in Australia or Bali anytime soon I would definitely recommend following Magali Pascal on Instagram. Their page is beautiful and great for style inspiration. Check it out here.

Speak soon xx

Goodbye ASOS

So I have officially finished my incredible placement year at ASOS, and come September it is back to the student life for me! And while I can't say I am going to miss the 5:30am starts and the cramped commutes, I am going to miss working for the most incredible company and being a part of something amazing.

I've talked a lot about ASOS on this blog, and particularly over the last year. There was the post about a year ago when I started ASOS which you can read here and so many hauls and mentions since. So I felt it was only fair to give a little round up and do a goodbye post.

ASOS has become a company so close to my heart. I've grown so much as a person over the last year, grown in confidence but also just grown up! A real job in the real world does that to you! I've met and worked with some of the most inspirational and kindest people, people who have supported me when things got tough and then stepped back and let me have my moment to shine. I've had two different managers, with two very different managing styles and loved and looked up to them both equally. I've made some incredible friendships with people who I know I am going to stay in touch with. I've presented to and then chatted in the pub with the exec of ASOS, Nick B, whose incredible new form of management and leadership fascinates me. I've been to launches and gigs and parties, and a few too many work lunches and afterwork drinks! And I've even been on the tube getting out my ASOS lanyard and had a girl stop me just to say that "I work for the coolest company!".

I could go on forever about how amazing my year has been. But ASOS is such a positive, inspirational and creative community that I have been so lucky to be a part of for the last year. And even more lucky that on my last day they offered me a permanent job role for when I graduate!!!

So goodbye ASOS, you've been everything I could have wished for. But just goodbye for now because I will be back in that swanky new building in a year!

Speak soon,

xx

 

 

The Cutest Phone Case

I have been meaning to write this post for so long now! So while I am sitting here babysitting I thought I would stop watching a load of trash on TV and do something slightly more productive. Finally write this post.

Whenever I get a new phone I always treat myself to a pretty new case. Mostly because Apple are annoying and keep changing the shape of the iPhone, or the placement of the camera. But also because getting a new phone case seems to make a new phone feel even newer! My favourite place to find beautiful and unique iphone cases is Etsy.

This one is just my favourite and I get so many compliments on it as it is just so different. It's marble (not so different!), but the art deco style and all of the details as well as it being all of my favourite colours just make this really special. It's from a brand on Etsy called CRCases which I love as they are such great quality for such a reasonable price. I'll link their page on Etsy here and put a link to my exact case here.

And while I am talking about phone cases I thought that I should quickly mention something that I honestly swear by, even if it isn't quite so interesting. After dropping my phone last year trying to find my house keys in my handbag and having to pay over £100 to have my shattered screen mended I have always put a screen protector on my phone. Tempered glass screen protectors are honestly the best thing since Nutella! They are so cheap on Ebay, they stick on easily like your average screen cover, but they are just so much thicker. I have dropped my phone so many times since I shattered my screen (even on concrete) and I haven't even scratched my actual screen since. What happens it that if it is a really bad drop the worst that can happen is I smash the glass screen protector. And then all I do it peel it off and put a new one on and my phone is as good as new again.

So if you are one of those people that either find themselves living with a shattered screen, or paying Apple all too often to mend the shattered screen, then get on Ebay and order some tempered glass screen protectors. They may just change your life!

Speak soon xx

Bali Photo Diary

It's been almost three weeks since I went to Bali, and I am still dreaming of the sunshine, the exotic fruits and the elephants. So I thought I would do a quick post sharing some of the unseen photos of the most incredible holiday. Hope you enjoy!

Being a tourist exploring the Rice Fields of Bali. Also, that's my camera cover in my back pocket!

The incredible Tegenungan Waterfall.

Sunsets and sunhats.

Can you think of anything better than bumping into a elephant in the street!

My favourite (plus Jack)!

Monkey business.

Being shown around the coffee plantation of the worlds most coffee, the one that's eaten and excreted by a palm civet and then sold in Harrods for about £250!!

And honestly, it really wasn't that special! Definitely not worth the price that Harrods are charging!

Some more beautiful views...

I think my next post will be the two items of clothing that I picked up in Bali, so keep an eye out for that!

Speak soon xx